Badger & Co

Badger & Co

Situated in Edinburgh, Badger & Co has undergone a remarkable transition and relocation to Castle Street in the former home of Kenneth Grahame, the author of Wind in the Willows. Badger & Co have embarked on an adventure surrounded with pleasures of food, drink and all things exciting.

Badger & Co also boasts an exclusive private dining room in the basement with its very own bar, seating up to 12 guests, offering a luxurious experience of feasting and socialising. Ideal for corporate use and large parties, this area can be converted into a games room, with a private dining table that transforms into a pool table and also a shuffle board.

A little trip to the stunning outdoor riverbank area means guests can explore the exterior of Badger & Co whilst soaking up the sun in the summer.

Featuring a menu inspired by local and seasonal produce, Badger & Co promotes bold flavours and fresh ingredients, in the form of charmingly presented dishes.

Delightful starters on the menu include bacon wrapped scallops, pan seared ox tongue and sautéed wild mushrooms served with toasted brioche. Mouth-watering main dishes include roast rack of borders lamb with wild garlic pesto and panko breaded scrabster cod cheeks. The menu also offers grills such as the 12oz smoked Borders pork chop and hearty pies including the Borders chicken and leek pie.

“Previously the site was an office covering two floors and we converted the space to a restaurant bar. The project began onsite at the end of 2015 and it has been open since April this year.

“The feedback has been great, the restaurant has a fantastic reputation for food and everyone has been working really hard. The restaurant has a really warm and welcoming atmosphere and it has been received very well.

“Because the building is listed we had to maintain the original room structures of the building, which meant that the building itself is in four independent spaces. One of these spaces is the bar, with a large bar servery, and a communal space with a big double height back bar fitting made from timber and painted in Farrow & Ball.

“This is almost a café style bar fitting, casual in nature – however there are formal elements in the bar to lift the space, such as the brass insets, Farrow & Ball paint, and vibrant orange pendants suspended above the bar to bring the height down.

“There is also a lovely Victorian space with the original cornice detailing and Herringbone floors, in addition to striking mosaic tiles around the bar.”

A stylishly elegant manner is maintained with the furniture that has been incorporated into the venue, however with a slight industrial twist.

Walking in, customers are greeted by a grand double height feature wine display with a wine tasting table behind it. An eye-catching chandelier hangs over the table, acting as a focal point within the space, with subtle lighting to soften the space.

Beyond that space, to the right is the restaurant with three tiered circular brass chandeliers, illuminating the area and giving it a sense of magnificence. Panel details to the right hand wall and a strand running through the bric-a-brac are is inspired by the Wind in the Willows, displaying badgers and toads in a slightly quirky fashion.

“We have a vibrant electric blue seating and a chestnut chesterfield style sofa across one wall, with a brass perforated circular edging detail to the tables which really brings a finer quality to that area and defines it more as a restaurant area.”

Adam added:

“The biggest challenge was converting the space from an office building to a restaurant, as the building is listed and this was a complex process because we had to make it flow around parameters of the listed building offices – for example we had to maintain the original character of the rooms including the shape of the rooms and the cornice detailing.

“I have worked with Signature Pub Company for over nine years, and this is a development of their product, showing how much they have grown and the quality of their product; as well as how much we have developed with them.”